Charging chute for transit concrete mixers



June 12, 1956 P. M. M CKlNNEY CHARGING CHUTE FOR TRANSIT CONCRETE MIXERS Filed Aug. 27. 1954 United States Patent CHARGING CHUTE FOR TRANSIT CONCRETE MIXERS Paul M. MacKinney, Northlake, Ill., assignor to Oury Elrliigineering Company, Wheaton, Ill., 21 copartner- S P Application August 27, 1954, Serial No. 452,680

2 Claims. (Cl. 259-164) My invention relates to a charging chute for use particularly with a transit concrete mixing drum of the type where both the charging of the material into the drum and the discharge therefrom are performed through the open end of the drum and in which a plurality of spiral blades are attached to the inner wall of the drum and an open-ended charging truncated cone is mounted centrally thereof at the rear end thereof and extends partially into the central longitudinal area of the drum between the edges of the spirally extending blades, and relates particularly to a charging chute having a sealing member attached to the chute at the discharge end thereof and extends partially around the end of the charging chute and projects from the end of the charging chute a slight distance so that its free edge lies upon and is supported by the charging cone, and which acts as a seal between the charging chute and the cone and prevents the flow of the mixture between these edges when the transit mixer is ascending a steep grade or in the rapid acceleration of the speed of the truck on which the drum is mounted.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a charging chute normally held in fixed position on the open end of a transit concrete mixer having a charging cone located therein whereby, due to rapid acceleration of the speed of the truck on which the drum is mounted, there is a tendency of the material to build up at the rear end of the drum, which may result in the concrete leaking out of the drum at the rear end and onto the roadway, driveway, or the like, causing damage to the roadway, particularly if the concrete should remain on the driveway until it becomes set.

Another and further object of my invention is the provision of a charging chute for use in connection with transit mixers which extends over the lower discharge end of the chute and onto the surface of the charging cone and which is flexible so that in cases where the charging chute is hinged to the frame mounted upon the truck chassis, the charging chute can be tilted outward and, because of the flexure of the sealing member, will not interfere with the rotative movement of the chute to swing it outward away from the drum, and which can be easily replaced in position by the workmen flexing the sealing member upward to clear the edge of the charging cone, thereby stopping leaks should the concrete mixture rise to a level above the edge of the charging chute.

Another and further object of my invention is the provision of a charging chute having a sealing member attached thereto and extending into and supported by the cone so that the concrete mix flowing backward there over flows onto the upper side of the sealing member, forcing it down onto a close-fitting engagement with the rounded contour of the cone, thereby forming a complete seal between the charging chute and the cone.

These and other objects of my invention will be more fully and better understood by reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings and in which- Fig. 1 is a view partially in section and partially in elevation of the rear end of a transit mixing concrete Patented June 12, 1956 ice drum showing the charging chute attached thereto, and

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the charging chute illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring now specifically to the drawings and in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, a rotatable cylindrical concrete mixing drum 10 is shown having a ring 11 encompassing the drum at its rear end and having a plurality of spiral blades 12 and 13 therein having their outer edges secured to the wall of the drum 10 in any approved manner, and having the open-ended frustro-conical charging member 14 mounted therein and through which material to be mixed in the drum and carried thereby to its point of use is charged onto the mixing drum 10.

A charging chute 15 is provided which is mounted upon a frame 16 supported upon the truck chassis at the end of the drum, and may be either fixed or hinged to this frame 16, the chute 15 having an upper receiving end 17 and a discharge end 18 extending slightly into the receiving end of the cone 14 and through which material is conveyed to the drum 10 for mixing and transport purposes. A flexible triangular-shaped sealing member 19 is provided which is fitted to the outer side of the lower portion of the discharge chute 15 and is secured thereto by means of bolts 20, 20 and extends partially around the lower end of the charging chute 17, with a lip portion 21 extending beyond the marginal edge of the chute 15 and resting upon the cone 14 a short distance from the receiving end of the cone 14, so that the space between the wall of the charging chute 15 and the wall of the cone 14 is sealed by the forwardly extending lip portion 21 of the sealing member 19 and prevents the concrete mix 22 from seeping out or flowing under the edge of the discharge end of the chute 15 when the drum 10 becomes tilted in a rearward direction because of the travel of the transit truck up a steep incline or due to rapid acceleration of the truck when, due to the fluid condition of the mixture, the forward movement of the truck is not instantly communicated to the mixture and there is a backward flow of the mixture in the drum 10, or rather due to the inertia and fluidity of the mixture, the forward movement of the vehicle is transmitted slowly to the mixture so the level of the mixture is apt to rise above the juncture point of the charging chute 17 and the cone 14, allowing the material to spill out of the mixture over the edge of the charging cone 14, resulting in a loss of concrete and also damage to a roadway or the like. It will be understood that in normal travel of these concrete mixers the drum 10 is rotated by proper operating mechanism connected either with the engine mounted on the truck of the chassis or by independent rotating means, so that the truck is rotated and the chute 15 is normally positioned in non-rotatable position with respect to the drum and the sealing member 19 is always in a position to prevent an overflow of the material.

The operation of the device is exceedingly simple in that the chute 17 is merely placed in position as shown in Fig. 1 by bending the sealing member upward to clear the edge of the cone member 14 and normally would be allowed to remain in position during both the charging and discharging of the mixture. In the form of the drum shown, the charging of the mixture is conducted through the charging chute onto the cone 14 to the interior of the drum which is being rotated in a direction so the spiral blades carry the mixture toward the forward end of the drum, and this normal rotation is continued during the travel of the transit mixer from the place of receiving this lading to the place of discharge of the concrete after it has been mixed and where the concrete is intended to be used. In the discharge operation, the direction of rotation of the drum is reversed so that the material is forced rearwardly by means of the blades 12 and 13 where the material is discharged around the outer surface of the cone 14 at the lower side thereof and from the lower side of the discharge end of the drum 10 onto a discharge chute 23 mounted upon the frame 16. Normally the drums are filled substantially to their capacity of a line which would not quite reach the level of the point of discharge of the cone, but during the movement of the truck the material would flow to the rear end of the truck and onto the cone while the drum was moving on an uphill grade, tilted at a rearward angle and the shield would prevent the fiow of concrete therefrom should such a condition take place.

While I have described more or less precisely the details of construction, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I contemplate changes in form, the proportion of parts and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or renderexpedient without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

I. In combination with a transit concrete mixer, a rotatable open-ended mixing drum, a plurality of spirally arranged blades therein secured to the wall of the said drum, an open-ended charging member centrally mounted at the rear end of the drum, a charging chute extending into the said charging member and a flexible sealing member secured to the outer side of the wall of the charging chute and extending beyond the discharge end of the said chute into the charging member into engagement with the inner surface of the said charging member adjacent the receiving end thereof.

2. In combination with a transit concrete mixer, a rotatable open-ended mixing drum, a plurality of spirally arranged blades therein secured to the wall of the said drum, an open-ended charging member centrally mounted at the rear end of the drum, a charging chute extending into the said charging member and a flexible sealing member secured to the outer side of the wall of the charging chute and extending beyond the discharge end of the said chute and spanning the space between the discharge end of the charging chute and the receiving end of the charging member at the lower side thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 615,519 Barr Dec. 6, 1898 2,029,126 Rybeck Jan. 28, 1936 2,589,492 Graham Mar. 18, 1952 

